Based on content available and the age of your kids... you need a nintendo. Getting an Xbox for my 11 year old was a horribe idea 2 years ago. Since then nothing but fights with his sister about who gets more time, who's game it is, fights with mom about mature games, time spent playing, and suffering grades. And the never ending money pit of Skylanders, Disney infinity, headphones that break after a month, Put this off as long as possible. I wish I did. I'm counting down the days that stupid box breaks for good.

I am proud to have opposed those who describe all who oppose them as "Tender Flowers" and "Special Snowflakes".

Check out Stately Play for news and reviews of games worth thinking about.

It's a tough year. The Wii U would be the natural choice for pre-teens, but its successor has already been sort of announced by Nintendo and is expected in March of 2017, so the Wii U is being largely abandoned. Would you consider a pair of 3DS handhelds?

If you're definitely going to get an Xbox or PS4, forget the paragraph above. Both are marvelous systems with large, excellent libraries. They're pretty comparable; I'd give Sony the slight edge on library strength, while I prefer Microsoft's controller, but much more important is this question: what do their friends have? Being able to play with friends and borrow games is a huge boon.

The Wii U is basically dead in the water, but it has a great library of kid-friendly games and the tablet controller can be used to play most games without needing the TV. It would also likely be your cheapest option.

-Wii U + pro controller + one or two games (the system usually comes with one or two)

The Xbox is in an odd spot too. There is a better version coming out, but it shouldn't be something you care about. This actually puts you into a good spot to get a good deal on the older model. It has a very similar library to the PS4 with the exclusives mostly being games I don't think you'd get your kids anyway.

-Xbox One S + extra controller (not a pro) + one or two games (a lot of retailers are offering bundles now anyway)

The PS4 is a great option, but you don't need a pro. There is virtually no need for it for most people. It adds HDR color support that no games currently use and most televisions don't support anyway. It also add more processing power which no games currently use and no future games are supposed to require. Short version: you don't need a pro. So you can take advantage of the lower-price deals being offered for the old hardware version and save some money.

-PS4 (regular or slim) + extra controller + one or two games (again, some bundles out there right now)

What will they want to play, or better yet what will you allow them to play? Will they play online? Have you looked at the choices for PC gaming? What is your budget? There are a lot of questions that you can answer to come up with the best choice.

FYI... in general the main differences between PS and Xbox is the controller design, the online features and community, the fan boys, and PS tends to have more RPG games. Most people tend to go one way or the other based on comfort with controller and a particular game that is exclusive.

When I worked at Game Stop those were some of the question I would ask people when they asked what system to get, I would walk them though a whole process.

My son is quite happy with his Playstation, that is when he isn't a complete and utter headcase for millions of reasons thanks to that infernal machine. In other words this:

Shadowen wrote:

Getting an Xbox for my 11 year old was a horribe idea 2 years ago. Since then nothing but fights with his sister about who gets more time, who's game it is, fights with mom about mature games, time spent playing, and suffering grades. And the never ending money pit of Skylanders, Disney infinity, headphones that break after a month, Put this off as long as possible. I wish I did. I'm counting down the days that stupid box breaks for good.

My son is 16. He got the PS4. All his friends with XBox envy the PS4. That said, he spends a huuuuuge amount of time on it.

My expense is minimal, he saved up for it, buys his own games, gamer headset, etc.

The thing i like best: he can plug headphones into the controller and we don't have to listen to the audio while he plays.

And when i want to watch my blurays of BSG or stream some movies really late at night, I use the PS4 with a disc, or netflix app, or amazon prime app, and can plug my headphones into his remote and listen in peace...

PS4 advantages:It has sold 2x as much as the Xbox One to date, which translates to more people online to play with/against on average.If space is a concern the PS4 is smaller than the Xbox One.PS4 allows you to replace the internal hard drive, like if it fails or if you simply want to upgrade to a larger one, without voiding the warranty. (Xbox one does allow external hard drives)PS4 uses RAM that in essence allows better graphics than the kind in the Xbox One.Speaking of graphics, the PS4 GPU is roughly 30% stronger than Xbox one.

Xbox One advantages:Xbox One has a roughly 10% stronger processor.Xbox One has local backwards compatibility, which means you can buy Xbox 360 games and play them. (PS4 has a backwards compatibility streaming service called PSNow, but it requires a subscription which you would pay on top of the subscription you have to pay to play stuff online.)The kinect is way better than the PS Camera and actually has some games.Xbox One supports both 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz wireless bands, while the PS4 just supports 2.4 GHz and thus has a higher chance of interference. (If people are playing online, you should really use a direct connection anyway.)

It is just a matter of preference or no real difference:While both systems have a library of roughly 600+ games, the PS4 has about triple the amount of exclusives.The controllers are just a matter of preference.Both systems have a good option for replacing your TWC cable option. PS4 has more channels to choose from with PS Vue compared to using Sling TV with Xbox One, but that comes with a higher price tag as well.

From an objective view the PS4 has superior hardware which means better graphics, better game choices, and better tv options. In reality the differences between the two systems are minor and really only noticeable when compared side-by-side. Price point is similar between them both. Buying the systems, the games, and the online service costs essentially the same for both. Both systems have controllers that cost the same, though Xbox One has pricier options. Both systems have TV service options that cost the same, though PS4 has pricier options. PS4 backwards compatibility costs money while the Xbox One doesn't, though you need to already own the games for the Xbox One.

Like other people have said in the thread, if it is for your kids then the main thing would probably be to ask them what they want to play and/or what do all their friends play on and get them that. If they don't know the answer to either of those questions I would suggest PS4.

Also, as others have mentioned, unless you have a 4K TV or plan on getting one sometime, there is no real point to getting the Xbox One S or the PS4 Pro, unless you find a deal. Just get the regular versions and save the money or buy them an extra game with it.

crazy thought but... what about wrapping a big box with a gift card to a Game Stop or some such store inside it with enough money on the card to buy the system, a game or two, accessories etc.?

That way after Christmas you both can go shopping for something and make a day of it, get some lunch and stuff, kind of a sort of event. You can take the next few months to get educated and help guide him in a direction with the help of a hopefully knowledgeable sales person.

Also... after the fact @ games. BUY USED!

Game Stop has one of the best return policies. If you buy a used game you can return it for any reason, ANY reason, and get a refund or buy another. If I have a long weekend with some actual free time, I go pick up a couple cheap used games I might like, if I don't no big deal I return them at the end of the weekend.

I am proud to have opposed those who describe all who oppose them as "Tender Flowers" and "Special Snowflakes".

Check out Stately Play for news and reviews of games worth thinking about.

fenners wrote:

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crazy thought but... what about wrapping a big box with a gift card to a Game Stop or some such store inside it with enough money on the card to buy the system, a game or two, accessories etc.?

I think that's a horrible idea, frankly, and kills the buzz of a young elementary school aged kid opening up a present on Christmas morning.

Speaking of things which kill the buzz of Christmas morning, if you're going to buy ahead of time, open the box and set it up after the kids go to bed some night before Christmas. There may well be an extended setup process, involving the creation of various accounts and setting different permissions, and you may need to download and install a massive update to the system before you can ever play a game. If there's a game you know they'll want to try first, open it and start it up, too, because it could also require a large update (and servers are likely to be slow Christmas morning).

EDIT: Another reason to be less excited about used games is that lots of games now come with a single-use code for DLC or online multiplayer. So your kids may feel they're not getting the full experience without that. It's generally fine for single-player games you're not too invested in, but for anything they're particularly excited about, buying new has benefits beyond supporting developers. I'm also a fairly big fan of buying digital, to avoid the fuss of swapping out discs (which kids aren't always great at).

Speaking of things which kill the buzz of Christmas morning, if you're going to buy ahead of time, open the box and set it up after the kids go to bed some night before Christmas. There may well be an extended setup process, involving the creation of various accounts and setting different permissions, and you may need to download and install a massive update to the system before you can ever play a game. If there's a game you know they'll want to try first, open it and start it up, too, because it could also require a large update (and servers are likely to be slow Christmas morning).

This is a ridiculously good point. The update/setup loop for PS4s/XBones are ridiculous these days.

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Another reason to be less excited about used games is that lots of games now come with a single-use code for DLC or online multiplayer

Online passes seem to be less popular with publishers this generation, but there's certainly tons of one-time-use codes for DLC & preorder bonuses.

I should be clear, I was largely joking with my used game/gamestop commentary.

I think that's a horrible idea, frankly, and kills the buzz of a young elementary school aged kid opening up a present on Christmas morning.

I liked it... my god mother did something similar. I had a great time and the memory of having an entire day revolve around me lasted a lot longer than the 30 seconds it would have taken to open the box.

I remember feeling like I had a 2nd Christmas. Getting to walk around "Child World" getting to pick out anything I wanted was a massive treat. It made me feel pretty dam good and like I could make my own decision for once.